From Stanley Uzoaru, Owerri
Justice S. I Okpara of the Imo State High Court, Owerri, has restrained Uche Okwukwu, Chief Richard Ozubu and their cohorts from interfering in any manner with the election of the leadership Ohanaeze Ndigbo slated for Sunday.
The court gave the order while ruling on an ex-parte application filed by Dr. Ikedi Ohakim, former governor of Imo State.
Ohakim is the only applicant in the suit, while Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Chief John Nwodo, Okwukwu, Ohanaeze Electoral Committee, Chief Enwo-Igariwey and Chief Richard Ozubu were listed as numbers one to six defendants in the matter.
The application was supported with nine paragraphs affidavit of urgency.
After hearing the application moved by the applicant’s counsel, Aloy O. Ejimakor, the court ruled: “It Is hereby ordered that the third (Okwukwu) and 6th (Chief Ozubu) defendants and their cohorts are hereby restrained in the interim from interfering in any manner whatsoever with the election of officers of the 1st (Ohanaeze Ndigbo) defendant and or in any manner conducting a parallel election of the officers of the 1st defendant (Ohanaeze Ndigbo) pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice for interlocutory injunction fixed for Monday the 11th day of January, 2021.”
Besides, the court also granted leave to the applicant to serve the defendant by substituted means, that is by pasting the writ of summons and other accompanying court processes in the suit at the door/gate of the defendants being their last known place of abode, and also published all the document in a national newspaper.In the main suit, among the prayers of the applicant before the court were a declaration of the court that the fourth defendant to wit the electoral committee constituted by Imeobi Ohanaeze on December 20, 2020 and chaired by the fifth defendant is the sole and authentic body that possessed authority to conduct election scheduled to hold between January 6 and 11, 2021. A declaration of the court that the third defendant’s actions in constituting another electoral committees was illegal, null avoid.
EDITOR’S NOTE:
This report, earlier published yesterday, is being repeated owing to mix-up in names. Chief Richard Ozubu is 6th defendant in the suit, not Chief Chief Enwo-Igariwey as erroneously stated in our report yesterday. The error is regretted.